Composite trusses constructed from metal webs and lumber top chords came into commercial usage about 17 years ago. About 20 percent of such composite strusses are pitched structural trusses and require some means for connecting the top chords at the ridge butt-joint. An example of such a composite truss and a ridge connector therefor is shown in A. L. Troutner U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,845 granted Oct. 27, 1970. The compression forces in the top chord at the ridge joint can reach exceedingly high numbers and the connector as constructed according to Troutner U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,845 imposed such high shear loads on the ridge pin that an especially large pin had to be used. Two years later, Troutner introduced another heavy duty ridge connector set forth in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,725 which solved the pin shear problem but the heavy cast metal product is expensive and requires careful fitting of the shortened lumber top chords to the device and still requires two pin connections adjacent the ridge joint.
On Sept. 20, 1974, Applicant filed application Ser. No. 507,943 for a new connector for a composite truss and this application will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,532 on Mar. 30, 1976. This patent relates to flat trusses and does not teach a connector for joining the butt ends of the pitched top chords.